1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Citalopram

Success on Citalopram😁

Posted , 115 users are following.

gillian176
gillian176

I just wanted to feed back to you all how wonderful I am feeling week12 on citalopram 20 mg

This is my second time on this drug since 2013. With hindsight I should never really have come off it but stayed at a very low dose .

I spent hours..again ...researching the internet in the early stages. This time it took 6 weeks until I started to feel better. It had taken only 2 the first time

Yes I had all the side effects and felt much much worse whilst my brain waited to rewire  itself in those initial weeks

It may not be the drug for everyone but it's worked wonders for me 

So I just wanted to comfort and give empathy to those of you out there who are still on their journey

My path is now much straighter

Good luck all 

43 likes, 689 replies

689 Replies

Prev Next
  • steven1976
    steven1976 gillian176

    Posted

    Hi Gillian

    I was in 20mg for 2 years then it was upped to 40mg this year. It was it that stage I decided after a month to come off it because I felt great. Big mistake. 2 months later I decided to go back on the 40mg. Omg it was like my body was hit with every emotion going and my bladder was out of control which I was told it was a side effect etc. Any itā€™s was decided to reduce to 20mg. Before I knew it Iā€™d taken an overdose and was taken to hospital. This was down to going on the 40mg straight away. I was check out by the hospital counsellors.Ā 

    Iā€™m now back home and itā€™s 3 weeks since going back on Cit and each day appears to be getting better although Iā€™m still crying in the morning which is to be expected.Ā 

    Itā€™s good to here the advise on this forum and to know other have had the same or similar experiencesĀ 

    I take each day as it comes hopefully get back to being myselfĀ 

    • gillian176
      gillian176 steven1976

      Posted

      Itā€™s deceiving isnā€™t it

      You feel great , we think oh I can stop now

      Thatā€™s very common

      As u say BIG mistake 

      I say to patients myself on other drugs ... well thatā€™s why your well and AOK! 

      Keep going on 20mg 

      Stay on track 

      You will get there again 👍

  • debbie54701
    debbie54701 gillian176

    Posted

    Hi. Thank you so much for your post. It has given me hope. I have been in citalopram for a long time. Iā€™ve always been on the same brand. But they were bought out and ceased manufacture so now I have a different one. Ā This past 6 weeks have been like Iā€™ve atartes them all over again. I have the usual dry mouth, heightened anxiety and nausea but Iā€™m also feeling very foggy, tired and spaced out. Ā Iā€™m also trembling quite a lot of the day in my arms and legs. Ā Iā€™m hoping that this will come to an end in the near future as itā€™s making everyday very hard. Did you have these side effects and how long did it take for them to go? Thank you for reading this. Debbie
    • gillian176
      gillian176 debbie54701

      Posted

      Itā€™s weird how differant brands affect us isnā€™t it

      My chemist said they cudnt get my favoured brand either.Ā 

      But I went to boots 50 yds away and they consistently and specifically get mine for me. In fact itā€™s the brand they get...

      Thatā€™s really rough that your feeling like that

      I was like that at the beginning so can oy think itā€™s your body getting used to them. ..... the differant type

      Someone suggested itā€™s the coating but my husband definitely gets very bad cramps with his BP meds. Spends ages trawling the chemists for the one with least side effects

      So thereā€™s something amiss

      Either u will have to knuckle down and see if these awful feelings pass OR

      Go see that High Street chemist and ask them

      Huge empathy to youĀ 

  • steven1976
    steven1976 gillian176

    Posted

    Hi Gillian 

    Update to say Iā€™m in my 4th week back on Cit 20mg and Iā€™m slowly starting to feel better, not perfect. The mornings are still the worst with crying etc. But the good feelings are longer and by night time I feel my old self. 

    Please; for others in the same or similar position stick with the it, it does improve 👍🏻

    #loveyourself 

  • steven1976
    steven1976 gillian176

    Posted

    Hi Gillian 

    Update to say Iā€™m in my 4th week back on Cit 20mg and Iā€™m slowly starting to feel better, not perfect. The mornings are still the worst with crying etc. But the good feelings are longer and by night time I feel my old self. 

    Please; for others in the same or similar position stick with the it, it does improve 👍🏻

    #loveyourself 

  • barbara72818
    barbara72818 gillian176

    Posted

    I started a week ago Wednesday on 5 ml on citalapramI started slow dose because I have trouble with drugs I wend to the clinic last Wednesday and am on 10ml.i was on 15 mls of remeron and two melintonin. At nightI increased my remeron to 30 mils three nights as I was only sleeping 3 to 4 h0urs. I am also coughing all night. Should I continue taking these drugs as I feel a little week in the morning. Will the drugs get better
    • fernando_21
      fernando_21 barbara72818

      Posted

      Hi Yes. Stick with your Drā€™s regimen. The Cit takes time to work and it does get better but you have to make through the tough times first. It took me 6 weeks on the same dose to level out. Ā Stay strong. Youā€™re not Alone.Ā 
    • gillian176
      gillian176 barbara72818

      Posted

      Yes. Yes Yes., xx stay with it

      You WILL get betterĀ 

      Insomnia is a very very common side effect at the beginning

      So ,, Not sure if those other drugs will help or notĀ 

      Stick with it. Keep going ...

      Was 12 weeks my Second time around before I felt betterĀ 

    • gillian176
      gillian176 barbara72818

      Posted

      Re the coughing. You maaaay have some GOR

      Gastric oesophageal Reflux causing you to cough

      If it doesnā€™t settle tell you GP

  • natasha58567
    natasha58567 gillian176

    Posted

    Hi GillianĀ 

    I am about to go on 20mg citalopram which will be my 2nd time on the drug. I was on 10mg for 3 years and stopped taking them a little over a year ago not on purpose , I guess because I felt fine I just forgot to take them and Iā€™ve been fine up until recently I can see old habits creeping back . Anyway I went to dr they prescribed them to me again.Ā 

    I didnā€™t really get side effects the 1st time round apart from heightened anxiety for a month or so.

    Iā€™m so worried this time that I will get lots of side effects and they wonā€™t work as well as they did before. I mainly suffer with health anxiety and general anxiety which in turn causes depression. So starting any medication makes me freak out.

    Please tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel and they will work for me like they did beforeĀ 

    • gillian176
      gillian176 natasha58567

      Posted

      Yes there is light. Lots of it but it takes time

      This is my second time around too

      Restarted it jan 17

      It took 12 weeks before I started to feel ok

      Longer than the first time..

      But I kept going

      I knew it worked

      Had been there before

      I should never have come off it as it crept back insidiously 

      I had tried to cope for few years but failed 

      Have just had a Gp review 

      Staying on it for another year

      She could see I employed all the self help stuff. Gym/ healthy eating/ mindfulness

      I too was frightened and suffered the side effects. Insominia feeling worse than when I started 

      But I stuck with it

      You can too🌼🌞

    • natasha58567
      natasha58567 gillian176

      Posted

      Hi Gillian,

      Thank you for your reply. I definitely shouldnā€™t have come off it and I think I will need them forever .

      However at the moment Iā€™m not sure if I will ever feel better again. Mornings and evenings are worst I think thatā€™s because I am at work in the day so that occupies my mind.Ā 

      Iā€™m snappy when at home because Iā€™m tired and fighting this anxiety that I donā€™t even know why it is there in the first place.

      Iā€™m struggling with my appetite at the moment , I love food so the fact I canā€™t seem to finish my evening meal like I used to is bothering me , although Iā€™m not sure if the heat has something to do with itĀ 

      Glad you are feeling better there is some hope for me then xx

    • gillian176
      gillian176 natasha58567

      Posted

      I know exactly what you mean about being occupied.Ā 

      Was just the same. Mornings were worse thoughĀ 

      Try make a structure for the dayĀ 

      Occupy your mind

      It will improve

      You will come though thisĀ 

    • natasha58567
      natasha58567 gillian176

      Posted

      Hi Gillian ,

      How are you?

      Iā€™ve missed some tablets again 😩 Iā€™m re starting them today and will set an alarm to remind me to take them . 

      Back at square one again 😔

    • gillian176
      gillian176 natasha58567

      Posted

      Really well👍

      Had GP review and amnon another year

      Why ruin it

      Well I get my tablet out every night as I get into bed and place it on a tiny tile plate next to my bed. Whenever I wake after 730 ish I just take it with water  also by the bed... 

      then I turn the tile over!

      Itā€™s a reminder

      Try make a routine time like that

      You donā€™t need alarms

      How many days did you miss?

      Get back on it quick and expect to be a bit unstable for a few days 

      🧘???

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.